Insect inhibitory proteins derived from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) are known in the art. These proteins can be used to control agricultural pests of crop plants by spraying formulations containing these proteins onto plants/seeds or by expressing these proteins in plants/seeds.
Only a few Bt proteins have been developed for use as transgenic traits for commercial use by farmers to control insect pests. Farmers rely on these proteins to provide a prescribed spectrum of pest control, and may continue to rely on broad spectrum chemistries in foliar and soil applications to control unprescribed pests. Certain Coleopteran insects such as Western corn rootworm (WCR, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera) and Southern corn rootworm (SCR, Diabrotica undecimpunctata) species, as well as Hemipteran species such as Lygus lineolaris (TPB) and Lygus hesperus (WTBP) have been shown to be particularly refractory to such transgenic traits. Hence, there is a need for insect inhibitory proteins that exhibit activity against a broader spectrum of insect pest species.
Here, a novel protein family has been disclosed and exemplary recombinant proteins exhibiting insecticidal activity against Coleoptera and Hemiptera are described.